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The Supremes

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Album cover showing The Supremes. left to right: Florence Ballard, Mary Wilson and Diana Ross
Album cover showing The Supremes. left to right: Florence Ballard, Mary Wilson and Diana Ross

de:The Supremes pl:The Supremes sv:The Supremes The Supremes were a wildly successful Motown all girl singing group that was active from 1959 until 1977. Originally known as The Primettes from 1959 to 1961, and later, from 1967 to 1970, known as Diana Ross & The Supremes, The Supremes were the most successful black musical act of the 1960s, recording twelve #1 hits between 1964 and 1969. Though the personnel changed frequently over the years, the most familiar version of The Supremes comprised of Diana Ross, Florence Ballard, and Mary Wilson, who all grew up in the Brewster public housing project in Detroit, Michigan.

Contents
1 History

1.1 Origins
1.2 Success
1.3 Decline
1.4 The "New Supremes"
1.5 Epilogue

2 Personnel
3 Discography
4 Further Reading
5 See Also
6 External link

History

Origins

Florence Ballard was friends with Paul Williams and Eddie Kendricks, two members of a Detroit male singing group known as The Primes, and since she herself sung, the Primes' manager decided to create a sister group called "The Primettes." Ballard recruited her best friend Mary Wilson, who recruited fellow church member Diane Ross and classmate Betty McGlown. The Primettes soon began performing at record hops, social clubs, and talent shows. One of the girls' goals was to get signed to the then new local Motown record label; they auditioned a number of times for label head Berry Gordy, who turned them down on the basis that he felt the girls were too young and lacked experience. Undaunted, The Primettes made a single for the Lupine label in 1960, "Tears of Sorrow" b/w "Pretty Baby" which failed to find an audience. During that same year, McGlown left the group to concentrate on her school studies and was replaced by Barbara Martin. In January 1961, Gordy finally relented and signed the group to Motown. Shortly thereafter, Martin left to start a family and the group continued as a trio. After signing the girls, Berry Gordy decided The Primettes should change their name, since The Primes no long existed; they and Otis Williams & The Distants had combined and signed to Motown as The Temptations. Gordy gave Ballard a list of names to choose from. She chose "The Supremes," which both Wilson and Ross (by now going by "Diana") disliked at first, thinking it too masculine. However, Gordy liked it, and the name stuck.

Success

During their first few years at Motown, the Supremes released eight singles, all of which missed the Top 40. Jokingly referred to as the "no-hit Supremes" around Motown's Hitsville USA offices, the girls tried to make up for their lack of a bonafide hit by taking on any chore that was available at the studio,including performing hand claps and singing backup for Motown artists such as Marvin Gaye and The Temptations. The group's first LP, Meet the Supremes (1962), collected many of these early singles. During these early years, all three members took turns singing lead on various songs; Mary Wilson favoring the ballads, Florence Ballard the more soulful and up-tempo songs, and Diana Ross the more mainstream pop numbers.

In 1962, Berry Gordy made Diana Ross the sole lead singer of the group, because he felt her higher register would help the group cross over to white audiences.

In December 1963, the Supremes finally scored their first Top 40 hit, "When the Lovelight Starts Shining Through His Eyes," (US #23) the first of many Supremes songs written by the Motown songwriting and production team of Holland-Dozier-Holland.

In the spring of 1964, the Supremes recorded a single entitled "Where Did Our Love Go" The song was originally intended by Holland-Dozier-Holland for The Marvelettes, who rejected it. Although the Supremes did not like the idea of recording a second-hand song, because of their track record, they didn't feel they had a choice. In August 1964, while traveling as a part of Dick Clark's Caravan of Stars tour, "Where Did Our Love Go" reached #1 on the US pop charts, much to the surprise and delight of the group; it was also their first song to reach the UK pop charts going to #3. "Where Did Our Love Go" was followed by four more #1 hits: "Baby Love" (which also went to #1 in Britain), "Come See About Me" (UK #27), "Stop! In the Name of Love" (UK #7), and "Back in My Arms Again". After 1965, the Supremes' singles were less uniformly massive, though they still charted on a regular basis, the combination of Holland-Dozier-Holland's songwriting and production, Diana Ross' lead vocals, and Mary Wilson and Florence Ballard's background vocals making for a winning combination.

The Supremes broke down many racial barriers, becoming one of the first black musical acts to appear regularly on television programs such as The Ed Sullivan Show, and achieving the crossover success Berry Gordy had been pushing for. Gordy also groomed the Supremes for performances in renowned supper clubs such as the Copacabana in New York, and the girls incorporated Broadway and pop standards into their repertoire alongside #1 hits such as "I Hear a Symphony", "You Can't Hurry Love", and "You Keep Me Hangin' On".

Decline

Personnel problems within the group and within Motown Records' stable of performers led to tension among the Supremes. Many of the other Motown performers felt that Berry Gordy was lavishing too much attention upon The Supremes, and upon Diana Ross in particular. As Ross became the focal point of the group, Florence Ballard began to feel pushed to the side in the group she had started, and began drinking excessively. In April 1967, Gordy hired Cindy Birdsong, a former member of Patti LaBelle & the Blue Belles, as a stand-in for Ballard, who would sometimes arrive at shows too drunk to perform. Later that month, a meeting was held, where it was determined that Birdsong would become Ballard's permanent replacement, a change that was finalized in July. Attempting a solo career with ABC Records, Ballard's two 1968 singles failed to chart and her solo album was shelved. Ballard eventually sunk into poverty and died in 1976 at the age of 32.

When Birdsong joined the group, the Supremes became known as "Diana Ross & The Supremes." The name change sparked rumors of a possible Ross solo career, and helped to tear the group apart. Even worse, Holland-Dozier-Holland left Motown in 1968 after a disputing with the label over royalties, and the quality of Motown's output (and Diana Ross & The Supremes' records in particular) began to falter. Five of the group's 1967 - 1969 singles failed to reached the Top 20, and only two of the ones that made it managed to become #1 hits.

Because of the tension within the group, neither Mary Wilson nor Cindy Birdsong appear on most of the singles released under the new name; they were replaced by session singers such as The Andantes on many post-1967 recordings, including the #1 hits "Love Child" and "Someday We'll Be Together," the single that signaled Diana Ross' swan song with the Supremes. In November 1969, Ross' immenent solo career was announced.

The "New Supremes"

Diana Ross & The Supremes gave their final performance together on January 14, 1970 at the Frontier Hotel in Las Vegas, after which Ross went on to record her debut solo album, Diana Ross, and Mary Wilson and Cindy Birdsong continued working with new lead singer Jean Terrell on the first post-Ross Supremes album, Right On. The Terrell-led Supremes (known unofficially at first as "The New Supremes," and in later years informally called the "70s Supremes") had a few hits of their own, including "Up The Ladder To The Roof" (US #10, UK #6), "Stoned Love" (US #7, UK #3), and "Nathan Jones" (US #16, UK #5) all of which were produced by Frank Wilson.

In 1972, The Supremes had their last Top 20 hit, "Floy Joy," produced by Smokey Robinson, and their popularity began to wane. Birdsong left to start a family and was replaced by Lynda Laurence (a former member of Stevie Wonder's backup group Wonderlove). In late 1973, the Stevie Wonder-produced single "Bad Weather" only made it to #87 on the US pop charts and #37 in the UK. At this time, Terrell decided to leave the group and was replaced by Scherrie Payne (sister of Freda Payne). Almost immediately afterward, Laurence left for the same reason as Birdsong and, ironically, was replaced by Birdsong.

Wilson, Payne, and Birdsong continued to record and perform with very little success, but they managed to have a #1 disco hit with the song "He's My Man" (1975). In 1976, Birdsong, dissatisfied with the management of the Supremes, left again and was replaced by Susaye Greene, another former member of Wonderlove. This final version of the Supremes released two albums, High Energy and Mary, Scherrie & Susaye, both of which reunited the Supremes with Holland-Dozier-Holland. During that same year, the Supremes had their final Top 40 hit, "I'm Gonna Let My Heart Do the Walking". On June 12, 1977, the Supremes performed their farewell concert at the Drury Lane Theatre in London, England and officially disbanded. After their disbanding and announcements that all three members (particularly Wilson) would begin solo careers, there were soon rumors that Payne and Greene auditioned several candidates for Wilson's replacement (including singer/dancer Karen Jackson). In 1978, it was then reported that Wilson tried to arrange a new set of Supremes and hired Kaaren Ragland and Karen Jackson to tour England with her as "Mary Wilson and the Supremes", but then lost rights to the Supremes' name as it legally resided with Motown. In 1979, Wilson had her first solo album Mary Wilson released by Motown, which included a single entitled "Red Hot". That same year, Payne and Greene released an album as a duo entitled Partners under the names "Scherrie & Susaye".

Epilogue

On December 20, 1981, the Tony-award-winning musical Dreamgirls opened at the Imperial Theatre on Broadway and ran for 1522 performances. The musical was said to have been loosely based on the Supremes' history. Mary Wilson loved the musical, but Diana Ross was reportedly angered by it and refused to see it.

In 1983, Diana Ross briefly reunited with Mary Wilson and Cindy Birdsong to perform "Someday We'll Be Together" on Motown's 25th anniversary special, broadcast on NBC.

Mary Wilson's autobiography Dreamgirl: My Life as a Supreme was published in 1986 and was dedicated to her family and "to the memory of Florence 'Blondie' Ballard". Dreamgirl covered her life and the history of the Supremes up to 1970, and also the post-Supremes years of Ballard. In 1990, she published her second autobiography Supreme Faith: Someday We'll Be Together, which continued the story from 1970 on. In January 2000, the two books were released together as Dreamgirl & Supreme Faith: My Life as a Supreme and included an afterword. To this day, Dreamgirl remains one of the best-selling rock-and-roll books of all time.

The Supremes were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988 and into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1998.

In 1993, Diana Ross had her own autobiography, Secrets of a Sparrow: Memoirs published. Unlike Wilson's books, her book received poor reviews and disappointing sales.

In 1994, the Supremes received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

In 2000, a reunion tour was planned for Diana Ross & the Supremes, but problems arose when Mary Wilson and Cindy Birdsong declined to tour with Ross. Wilson and Birdsong both passed on the tour because was offered $15 million to perform, while Wilson and Birdsong were only offered $3 million each. Eventually, the "Return To Love" went on as scheduled, but with Scherrie Payne and Lynda Laurence joining Ross, who was never in the group at the same time as Payne or Laurence. Fans were disappointed by both this and the shows' high ticket prices, and, after playing only half of the dates on the itenerary, the tour was cancelled.

Personnel

Discography

Albums

The Supremes

  • 1962: Meet the Supremes
  • 1964: Where Did Our Love Go
  • 1964: A Bit of Liverpool (a covers album mostly comprising of Beatles songs)
  • 1965: The Supremes Sing Country Western & Pop
  • 1965: We Remember Sam Cooke
  • 1965: More Hits by the Supremes
  • 1965: At the Copa (live)
  • 1965: Merry Christmas
  • 1966: I Hear a Symphony
  • 1966: The Supremes A' Go-Go
  • 1967: The Supremes Sing Holland-Dozier-Holland
  • 1967: The Supremes Sing Rodgers & Hart


Diana Ross & The Supremes

  • 1967: Greatest Hits, Vols. 1 & 2
  • 1968: Reflections
  • 1968: Live at London's Talk of the Town
  • 1968: Diana Ross & the Supremes Sing 'Funny Girl'
  • 1968: Diana Ross & the Supremes Join the Temptations (duets album with The Temptations)
  • 1968: Love Child
  • 1968: T.C.B. (with The Temptations, soundtrack for TV special originally broadcast on December 9, 1968)
  • 1969: Let The Sunshine In
  • 1969: It's Happening! (special markets LP released by MCA; side A is by Diana Ross & The Supremes, side B is by Neil Diamond)
  • 1969: Together (duets album with The Temptations)
  • 1969: Cream Of The Crop
  • 1969: On Broadway (live)
  • 1969: Greatest Hits, Vol. 3
  • 1970: Farewell (live recording of Diana Ross' final performance with the group on January 14, 1970 at the Frontier Hotel in Las Vegas)


The Supremes

  • 1970: Right On
  • 1970: The Magnificent 7 (duets album with The Four Tops)
  • 1970: New Ways But Love Stays
  • 1970: The Return of The Magnificent 7 (duets album with The Four Tops)
  • 1971: Touch
  • 1971: Dynamite (duets album with The Four Tops)
  • 1972: Floy Joy
  • 1972: The Supremes Arranged and Produced by Jimmy Webb
  • 1975: The Supremes
  • 1976: High Energy
  • 1976: Mary, Scherrie & Susaye
  • 1978: At Their Best


Singles

The Supremes

All songs feature Diana Ross on lead vocals, unless otherwise noted.


Diana Ross & The Supremes

On the following singles, Diana Ross provides all lead vocals, unless otherwise noted.

  • 1967: "Reflections" (US #2, UK #5)
  • 1967: "In and Out of Love" (US #9, UK #13)
  • 1968: "Forever Came Today" (US #28, UK #28)
  • 1968: "Some Things You Never Get Used To" (US #30, UK #34)
  • 1968: "Love Child" (US #1, UK #15)
  • 1968: "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me" (with The Temptations; Ross shares the lead vocals with Eddie Kendricks; spoken interlude is by Otis Williams) (US #2)
  • 1969: "I'm Livin' in Shame" (US #10, UK #14)
  • 1969: "I'll Try Something New" (with The Temptations; Ross shares the lead vocals with Eddie Kendricks and Melvin Franklin) (US #25)
  • 1969: "The Composer" (US #27)
  • 1969: "No Matter What Sign You Are" (US #31)
  • 1969: "Someday We'll Be Together" (US #1, UK #13)


The Supremes

On their singles from 1970 to 1973, Jean Terrell provides all the lead vocals, unless otherwise noted.

  • 1970: "Up the Ladder to the Roof" (US #10, UK #6)
  • 1970: "Everybody's Got the Right to Love" (US #21)
  • 1970: "Stoned Love" (US #7, UK #3)
  • 1970: "River Deep, Mountain High" (with The Four Tops; Terrell shares the lead vocals with Levi Stubbs) (US #14)
  • 1971: "Nathan Jones" (US #16, UK #5)
  • 1971: "You Gotta Have Love in Your Heart" (with The Four Tops; Terrell shares the lead vocals with Levi Stubbs) (US #55)
  • 1971: "Touch" (US #71) (Terrell shares the lead vocals with Mary Wilson)
  • 1972: "Floy Joy" (US #16, UK #9) (Terrell shares the lead vocals with Mary Wilson)
  • 1972: "Automatically Sunshine" (US #37, UK #10) (Terrell shares the lead vocals with Mary Wilson)
  • 1972: "Your Wonderful Sweet, Sweet Love" (US #59)
  • 1972: "I Guess I'll Miss the Man" (US #85)
  • 1973: "Bad Weather" (US #87, UK #37)

On their singles from 1975 to 1977, Scherrie Payne provides all the lead vocals, unless otherwise noted.

  • 1975: "He's My Man" (Payne shares the lead vocals with Mary Wilson)
  • 1975: "Where Do I Go from Here"
  • 1976: "I'm Gonna Let My Heart Do the Walking" (US #40)
  • 1976: "You're My Driving Wheel" (US #85)
  • 1977: "Let Yourself Go"

Further Reading

  • Dreamgirl & Supreme Faith: My Life as a Supreme by Mary Wilson (ISBN 081-541000-X)


See Also


External link

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